Mazda 6 vs. Honda Accord

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How many miles are you going to drive it? That's another factor to consider. If I was a betting man, I'd be you'd get longer life/mileage out of the Accord. It has a track record to bear that out...not sure the Mazda6 does just yet. If you're only going to drive it for 150K miles, it probably won't matter.

The Accord is definitely more conservative in its styling, but I don't think it's necessarily a "toaster" or "vanilla". Again, that is all a matter of opinion and debatable. But I think the *interior* of the Accord is quite nice and sporty, definitely not vanilla. Now compared to the Mazda, it may not be as aggressive, though.

Just my humble opinion.
 
If you're looking at a Mazda 6, you might as well look at a Fusion as well. Similar platform, reportedly very high reliability, but more understated styling. Ford is desperate for sales, and there are some incentives at the moment.
 
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I vote for the Mazda 6. I did a a comparison of vehicles for the 2006 model year last year. It boiled down to the Mazda 6 for several reasons: better looks, better content for the price you pay, better standard equipment. The real kicker was when I went to the auto forums for the owners of these cars and seen what they had to say. The Mazda owners are a far happier crowd and the ones who owned Hondas previosely to buying their Mazda said they would never go back to Honda. That says a lot to me.

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The better looks are subjective, the better pricing and more features for your money are most likely true. That's common when a competitor is trying to overthrow an established leader. (And I don't mean that negatively toward Mazda.)

As for the forums, that is pretty anecdotal. Many will say that when they're excited about a new vehicle and brand, and there are probably more people who *could* switch from Honda to Mazda simply because there are many more Accord drivers. You can find similar phenomena on Accord forums, albeit in smaller numbers as you don't yet see Mazda6 owners switching to Accords...it's too new.

The Mazda6 is a worthy contender and may prove better than the Accord in the long run. Heck, I'D buy one. But the Accord still has the track record to earn my money...for now.

Again, just my humble opinions. Take them for what they're worth.
 
Ive driven both. If you want an ULTRA reliable, plain looking, which one is mine in the parking lot, type car, get the Accord. You will sleep at night.

If you want a FUN to drive car with a bit smaller back seat, get the Mazda. Easily the most under rated 4 door sedan on the planet.
 
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Accord= solid car, but getting redesign this coming fall as 08 model.

6= dated, has ancient Ford 4-speed transmission (4-cyl) and resale is worse.

Word of advice? Wait until this fall when the new 08 Accord arrives.

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This was true on the Mazda 626 4cyl with auto tranny that had the Ford Contour tranny that was very problematic. I do not believe this is still the case with the Mazda 3 and 6 line.

Mazdas do however generally have a lower resale value than hondas. Having said that, i bought my mid-sized mazda with V6, leather, bose stereo, alloy wheels and moon roof for about 5000 less than a comp equip accord.
 
Resale is much worse with the Mazda, BUT you can get them highly discounted. Around here I can get $5 to $6k off sticker.

If you are going to drive it less than 3 years, get the Honda. If you are going to drive it until the wheels fall off, it doesn't matter.
 
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Both are pretty close in all the areas you describe...

Personally, I would choose the Accord, based on the spectacular 2.4L engine...bulletproof reliability and great on gas...also the Accord seems to still win every family sedan comparo even though it's an aging platform...the interior is much nicer than the Mazda, too IMO...very ergonomic and clean looking...

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accords are far from bulletproof http://www.lemonauto.com/complaints/honda/honda_accord.htm

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Accords are very bulletproof. I work on them every day and have done so for 15 yrs. The number of recalls you refer to is an extremely small number of cars when you consider how many are sold every year.
I don't know of any manufacterer that has not had "possible" air bag problems due to the legal ramifications associated with SRS systems. Would you prefer having a company that willingly issues recalls to correct a problem or do like GM and Ford and pretend it does not exist?
Styling preferences aside;you will not buy a more bulletproof car than a 4 cyl. Accord. I have two;an 03 and an 05 and they have been impressive. The 4cyl. V-TEC is smooth as glass and has plenty of power while delivering 33-36 MPG. The UOAs with any oil are some of the best of any engine made. No issues with either of mine other than regular maintenance.
The resale will be much stronger on the Accord also. They are in big demand by people who are looking for a second car or a good used car for a college kid. You can keep an Accord for 10yrs and if you take good care of it you would be amazed what people will offer you for one above what "book value" says the car is worth.
Do the Fusion and 6 share the same underpinnings and powertrains? If so, is the Fusion better priced? Better warranty?
My money is on the Accord.
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Ive driven both. If you want an ULTRA reliable, plain looking, which one is mine in the parking lot, type car, get the Accord. You will sleep at night.

If you want a FUN to drive car with a bit smaller back seat, get the Mazda. Easily the most under rated 4 door sedan on the planet.

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Well I haven't driven one, but here's some comments from people who have driven or owned them (from an Accord forum). You can take them for what they're worth, but at least they've driven and in some cases owned them.

===============
[FIRST GUY]
My previous car was a Mazda 3 hatch back. It was a very well built, very good performing car for the money (fully loaded including leather, xenons, TMPS, and many other goodies for 21k out the door)

So when it came time to get a bigger car, I actually was considering a Mazda 6.

I never got beyond the test drive stage....the Mazda 6 is an inferior car to the Honda Accord. #@$%!, it is even inferior to the Mazda 3. The interior is junk, it handles like junk, the engine is whiney.....all in all just a poorly built car.

However, I cannot knock Mazda too badly because in my experience the 6 is their only product which is sub par.

=============
[SECOND GUY]
My last car was a 05 Mazda6S V6 MT. I only owned it to 13k. I sold it because I got tired of the lack of power and some reliablity issues. I will never buy Mazda again.

Pros and Cons of the 6 ( the v6 mt )
Pros
1. handling
2. looks
3. price
4. exhaust sound-I think it sounds better than my car. It has a classic V6 Growl.

Cons
1. power-not even in the same league as an Accord's V6, I cant state that enough
2. tranny and clutch-subpar to say the least, I had clutch problems even at 13k. If you go to the 6 forums many people say the clutch wears out very quick.

=============
[THIRD GUY]
I was considering a MazdaSpeed 6 when I bought my Accord. My dad didn't like the headroom, as he did some of the carshopping for me. I have driven a Mazda 6, didn't like it very much. I haven't driven the MazdaSpeed 6 yet, so I can't comment on that, but at the time, they were still charging a $6k markup. That was rediculous. Not to mention the dealership I went to had 5 of them, and they were sitting there for 2 months according to the salesman. You'd think they'd figure out that they overpriced them.

==============
[FOURTH GUY]
Getting back on topic.... I've driven both the Mazda 6 V6 and the Accord V6. Guess which one I like more. The Mazda6 was pretty gutless once you get past 3500RPM. Plus it's (real life) reliability record leaves something to be desired.
 
Do you like to drive? If so I would get the Mazda.

Both good cars but i think it is a question of fun.h

While my experience is one segment down, I recently traded a loaded Civic for a loaded Mazda3. The mazda has a better engine, better brakes, better seats and better handling at the same price point.

I don't know about reliability yet. In six months nothing has gone wrong with the Mazda. In 6 years nothing went wrong on the Honda. Literally. Just gas and oil.
 
The 2005 Mazda6 that we had was one of the best cornering and braking econoboxes that I've driven. We bought ours with a 3k rebate, and on Mazda's equivalent to a Ford X-plan (below invoice), which made the sale price about 4k under sticker. My wife wanted the grey one, but they had an "ad unit" that we could have bought for about $1500 less than that, if she would have accepted white with the tan interior. Had it for 15k miles with no problems. The engine felt good, but I hated the cartridge oil filter, and removing the belly pan to get to it. Not a friendly oil change!
 
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Do you like to drive? If so I would get the Mazda.

Both good cars but i think it is a question of fun.h


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I like to drive, and I LOVE my Accord V6. I can do 0-60 in about 6.0. I doubt it handles *quite* as well as the Mazda, though it is still pretty athletic. (Of course this is on the V6...don't know about the 2.4L.)

But what I wanted more than a "fun to drive" car (which the Accord V6 certainly is) is a car that I could go 300K in. I think my chances are statistically better in the Accord.
 
The V6 Mazda6 just felt gutless compared to the V6 Accord during my test drive. The interior wasn't as nice, and I personally like the more conservative look of the outside (it's a 4 door family sedan, not a show car). Not to mention the 6 speed manual option in the Accord, I was sold. It was also, at least for me, MUCH cheaper to insure.
 
'06 Mazda 6i owner here. Test drove many combinations of the 6 and 3s hatch before I bought. Did not test drive a Honda, so I can only speak first hand about the 6 and perceptions about the Accord.

The 6 is a wonderful handling sedan, enough that the majority of the public would never come close enough to seeing its stock potential. Very few roads offer the opportunity to experience it legally, and most drivers wouldn't think of tossing a family sedan into a corner. I've heard many cars described as sporty, the 6 is one I truly believe. If you take a corner a little fast, the car communicates to you to take it faster.

I think the interior is pretty nice, good layout, good materials, nice design, but not top of the class. I'm very comfortable on short and long trips alike. The '06 exterior is a little more toned down from the '03-05 models, but stands out more than typical midsize sedans. Mine doesn't have the rear wing spoiler, so it plays down its athleticism.

The brakes are simply stellar. Easy to modulate and stops are short when they need to be. The engines are tuned for mid to high RPM power. I wish I had more low RPM power. The V6 fixes that, but its still low on low RPM power compared to other V6s. The other issue is I'd like a 6th gear on the manual as the highway revs run 3k-4k. Luckily both engines are very smooth and pretty quiet at all RPMs. The ATX saps some of the fun with the torque converter stall too low for the powerband. Good thing it shifts well, and the manual mode is useful. I'm comparing this to Hyundai automatics where the shifts are way too slow and the manual mode is worse than leaving it in Drive. The manual transmission shifts smooth and positive, but the clutch is tricky at first. I dont know why, but the 3 is intuitive, the 6 has a slight learning curve. Gas mileage I feel is average for the class. I'm averaging 27mpg in mixed driving, with my estimates coming close to what the EPA has figured out.

I wouldn't count reliability in choosing most new cars today. Your chances of getting a bad Honda are just as good as getting a bad Ford.
 
I would not pick one based on reliability. They will both do fine.

Mazda = More sporty and fun to drive.
Accord = More sedate and conservative. Also, more room inside.
 
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